Photo by Ken Tom
May Day in Annapolis
ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND—Get caught up in the hope and promise of spring by celebrating May Day in Annapolis! The Garden Club of Old Annapolis Towne is inviting residents and businesses in the Downtown Historic District to join in their 66thAnnual May Day celebration by putting baskets of fresh cut flowers in front of their homes and businesses by 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 1.
Due to COVID-19 gathering restrictions, the organization will not be awarding its coveted blue ribbons for the second year in a row, but Garden Club of Old Annapolis Towne president Carolyn Kammeier says the spirit of May Day lives on. “May Day is one of the most beautiful days of the year in Annapolis. It brings such joy to so many. We’re looking forward to seeing all the creative May Baskets and everyone’s smiling faces once again.”
Visit Annapolis & Anne Arundel County (VAAAC) is inviting Annapolis & Anne Arundel County residents, as well as individuals from across the country and around the world, to join in the celebration by creating May Day baskets and placing them on their doors, in their windows, or in front of their homes on May 1. Individuals are encouraged to post images of their creations using the hashtags, #maydayannapolis2021 and #66thannapolismayday. VAAAC will help spread the beauty by sharing select posts on its Facebook & Instagram pages. Interested individuals are also invited to upload 2021 May Day basket images HERE.
Visitors to the VAAAC website will be treated to a colorful array of May Day baskets past and present. The site also offers tips for celebrating May Day Every Day by taking advantage of the destination’s many gardens, parks, flower markets, plant sales, and other garden-related events and offerings all year long.
The first ladies of Annapolis will be among those capturing May Day images this year. For the first time, members of the Downtown Annapolis Partnership (DAP) Board of Directors will escort the four first ladies on a tour of the May baskets. First Lady of Maryland Yumi Hogan; First Lady of Anne Arundel County Erin Pittman; City of Annapolis First Lady Julie Buckley; and Joanne Buck, the wife of Vice Admiral Sean Buck, U.S. Naval Academy Superintendent, will be shuttled through the Downtown Historic District compliments of Annapolis Eventours.
In addition to feasting their eyes on beautiful fresh cut flowers, the first ladies are likely to catch a glimpse of the one-of-a-kind oversized May Day floral displays the artists of Gallery 57 West are creating for many West Street businesses from Church Circle to Westgate Circle for the first time this year. Individuals who post images of themselves in front of the paper flower arrangements with the tag, #MayDayonWestSt, will be eligible to win a gift card from a participating business. Weather permitting, visitors will also be invited to paint a flower on Gallery 57 West’s large outdoor canvases from 11:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. on May 1.
For the first time this year, VAAAC’s new Arundel Ambassador will be front and center on Maryland Avenue during the May Day festivities. The 20’ traveling Visitor Information Center and its team of ambassadors will be streaming videos, handing out giveaways, and accepting entries for a prize drawing from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.
Visitors are encouraged to join in the May Day celebration, wearing masks and in a socially distanced manner. After working up an appetite enjoying the baskets, they’re invited to check out Annapolis’s culinary scene by stopping by a favorite restaurant for inside dining, take-out, or an al fresco experience. Getting out on the water, browsing the shops, and visiting attractions are a perfect way to round out the day. Individuals who spend the night will be right where they want to be when the First Sunday Arts Festival kicks off on West Street the following day.
For help in mapping out a weekend itinerary, May Day enthusiasts are invited to stop by the 26 West Street Visitors Center or the VAAAC Information Kiosk at City Dock – just footsteps away from the beautiful Garden Club of Old Annapolis Towne May Pole on display next to Market House.
Access images of past Annapolis May Day celebrations HERE.
